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    Beauty Queens
    Beauty Queens
    Beauty Queens
    Audiobook14 hours

    Beauty Queens

    Written by Libba Bray

    Narrated by Libba Bray

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Teen beauty queens. A "Lost"-like island. Mysteries and dangers. No access to emall. And the spirit of fierce, feral competition that lives underground in girls, a savage brutality that can only be revealed by a journey into the heart of non-exfoliated darkness. Oh, the horror, the horror! Only funnier. With evening gowns. And a body count.

    Editor's Note

    Surrealist satire…

    A plane of beauty pageant contestants crashes on an island, leading to a hilarious surrealist satire of “Lord of the Flies” that explicitly tackles capitalist corruption and the danger of stereotypes based on race or gender.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherScholastic
    Release dateMay 24, 2011
    ISBN9780545357739
    Beauty Queens
    Author

    Libba Bray

    Libba Bray is the New York Times bestselling author of A Great and Terrible Beauty and Rebel Angels, both of which have appeared on ALA's Best Books for Young Adults list.

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    Related categories

    Reviews for Beauty Queens

    4/5

    1,269 ratings182 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      First, let me just say that Bray is a wonderful narrator. I have spoken to people who said that they really couldn't get into the book; however, Bray does a multitude of voices and narrations amazingly.I wasn't sure if I was going to like a satire on beauty pageants. I thought that they (pageants) were stupid, on first impression. But I liked how Bray approached the pageant from the girls' P.O.V. - where first impressions are broken down, relationships are explored, and girls can be whatever they want to be - and that it might take a while to figure yourself out.That being said, I was happy with the fact that not all the girls got typical happy endings - some got a boyfriend, some got what they thought made them happy, and (without giving too much away) others were left sorta unknown at the end - AND THAT'S OKAY.I also enjoyed how Bray portrayed the media and big business a.k.a The Corporation. It's sad that girls are still seen in a particular way due to this industry's standards. Bray pokes fun of it, and while it's hilarious she also points out that it should change.All in all, it was an enjoyable audiobook.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Good, sometimes funny. Very good insight to our society. The most feministic book I have ever read (this is a compliment!).

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      I'm normally not a fan of audiobooks but Libba Bray reading her own words added a depth to this book that was already as deep as the marina trench. Definitely give it a read for funny feminist feel good joy.
    • 3/5
      Libba is an excellent narator as in the voice of this audio book .

      I find that with libba I either love the book or it's just not for me.

      This book was surprisingly both ! Who new that could happen.

      The interview at the end is the best part of it for me.
    • 5/5
      Such a different YA book, diversity and surrealism are the key words here, the author does a fantastic job of narrating.
    • 4/5
      This was hilarious and so much fun! The girls were all so amazing and I loved reading about their development and their relationships with each other l.
    • 5/5
      I love this book!!
      I went into this book not knowing what I would find, and came out of it with what is now one of my new favorite reads, ( Or to correct myself "listens" as it was the audiobook version I went through.) and have found an author who's body of work I will be keeping a very close eye on. I feel in love with with the characters, their relationships with each other and how the world of the story kept me thinking about our own society. This was a fun read from beginning to end that I would ( and will ) recommend to anyone.
    • 5/5
      Diverse, hilarious, and downright amazing.
    • 5/5
      This was the most surprising spectacular book and I am genuinely sad it is now leaving my life. I've never encountered something so ridiculous and so very very real at the same time. I'm pleasantly disturbed by how much the entire scenario makes sense in execution, and stranded-on-an-island stories are now ruined for me completely because nothing can ever beat the badass resourcefulness of beauty queens.

      Amazing props to the author specifically for reading her own book because I couldn't imagine experiencing it any other way. I laughed out loud many many times, and shook my head in bemusement just as often.

      Listen to this book guys. Seriously, just do it.
    • 4/5
      This was just plain old bizarre but at times ridiculously funny, mean, and spot-on satire. It was great to see how all the girls came around to being their own, finding themselves and having their own distinct individual voices. Although some of their backgrounds seemed to draw a little too much from established stereotypes, I didn't mind so much as I regarded it as another means of satire.
      I loved the portrayal of female (romantic and platonic) relationships in a context without men as well as female-male relationships' dynamics. My inner feminist also enjoyed the constant stabs at modern society with its warped views on femininity and expectations of women and girls, not only through the reflections of the girls on themselves and other girls, but also through the creative use of footnotes and fictitious commercials as narrative means. The plot itself, while of the outrageously crazy, in-your-face nonsensical type (character-based book here!), just added to the story.
      I listened to the audiobook version read by the author herself who did great on the different voices and dialects. Sometimes her sharp pronunciation of some consonants (especiall s and t) was a little distressing, but this will be most likely only be me since I have quite sensible ears.
      I can safely say that this book provided a good couple of hours of light-hearted, over-the-top entertainment and while the ending could have been shortened a little, I neverthless enjoyed the package.
    • 4/5
      Humorous, over-the-top story of a group of beauty queens shipwrecked on a tropical island that happens to be the site of a secret compound where a major corporation is planning an illegal weapons transfer.
    • 5/5
      Fantastic humorous book. The author/narrator was excellent. I enjoyed just how ridiculous everything was and look forward to reading everything else this author has written. Word of warning to other readers...you might not like this book if you don’t have a sense of humor or you do not like satires.
    • 4/5
      It's quite difficult to rate this book. It was amusing but sometimes also a bit lengthy. I think the book could have been shorter at some points, but all in all a very interesting and good plotted story. Listening to it was very funny.
    • 5/5
      At first I was skeptical about this book, but by the second or so chapter I was pulled in. Narration is very engaging, and by the end of the book I was stifling laughter. Every one should read this. I wish that I could give this 6 out of 5 stars.
    • 3/5
      I liked it. It was funny and made for good listening while I was packing up my apartment. It didn't change my world but it did make a lot of important points in a fun and wonderfully sarcastic way. Reading is to important to be taken seriously.
    • 5/5
      Hands down the BEST audio book I have ever listened to! This book may be equally awesome read, but I will encourage everyone I know to listen to it. The voices, format, sound effects....all of it comes together to make the most fun listening experience ever. Imagine Austin Powers-Man of Mystery but a zillion times better written.
    • 5/5
      beeeeeeest boooook everrrrrrt
    • 5/5
      It started off so hokey that I thought I wouldn't be able to power my way through. The narator, ( author), does such a good job though; I just got sucked in.
      Great accents, interesting characters, and a totally new premise. I enjoyed this audiobook far more than I thought I would.
    • 3/5
      3.5*

      The only way I can describe this book is just bizarre.

      At first I thought I was going to love it. The first 10 or so chapters had me completely hooked. I loved the fun it made of capitalism with the commercials and TV shows it mentioned. I loved the relationships that formed between the girls and all of their clashing personalities and the amazing character development that nearly all of them went through.

      And then it all fell apart...

      At some point it started to become a completely different story which was just trying to be as weird as possible. I get it was trying to make fun of all the different clichés plots and stereotypes but at some parts it was just overdone.

      I love Tiara so damn much.
    • 4/5
      Great story, funny with great female characters finding themselves. I honestly can't pick a favorite, because I loved them all.
    • 5/5
      I loved the story, I loved the narrator. I loved everything.
    • 4/5
      Narrated by Libba Bray. A plane full of teen beauty queen contestants crashes on an island, killing the pilots, crew and most of the girls. The 13 girls left must learn to fend for themselves until rescue comes, but all is not as it seems on this not-so-deserted island. As the girls get to know each other and work in cooperation not competition, their strengths surface and they grapple with the social expectations that no longer have a place on the island. Bray has a great vocal talent with a compelling presentation, spotlighting the humor and poignancy, has fun with accents, personalities, and teen attitudes. Her interpretation gives a strong picture of the girls. The production of “commercials” lends really well to audio; cleverly done and much more dimensional than print. Unfortunately, there's a gap of missing text between discs 6 and 7.
    • 4/5
      A very entertaining piece of satire. Loved the format as well.
    • 5/5
      Disclaimer: I am an unapologetic Libba Bray fan. I will praise anything she does. Seriously, it's going to take a lot for her to disappoint me. This is my most anticipated book of 2011, which I pre-ordered just as soon as it was available to be pre-ordered on Amazon about 6 months in advance. I devoured every page. And now I'm sad it's over. At the end of the book (it's not a spoiler, you can keep reading), Libba explains that she was challenged to write a story about a plane full of beauty pageant contestants crashing on a deserted island. The result was this satirical novel about female interpersonal relationships and personal self-image, with some heavy-handed liberal sentiments thrown in, mixed with mock-ups of commercialized products ranging from hair-removal products, reality television, and feminine supplies. I approve. I've seen this book described as a cross between William Golding's "Lord of the Flies" and the 2004 movie "Mean Girls." Well, it's been a long time since my freshman year of high school, so I can't really comment on either comparison. But I think to compare it too closely to another piece of work is to do it a disservice. Which is the case with anything, I think, because if you look too hard for the similarities you will miss your own personal and unique response to the experience. Mine was this: For several years I participated in an all-female group of actresses to put on a play every spring. It was a different batch of girls every year. The results were always surprising and moving. Even though everyone entered the experience trying their hardest to be the best and tentative about forming friendships, everyone managed to get along wonderfully and worked hard and ultimately creating something really special. After the final performance of one of the shows one year, one of the actresses summed up the entire experience with one sentence: "I always thought women were bitches before this." There's a misconception that women are competitive and want to hurt each other and bring each other down. For me, "Beauty Queens" brings this experience to life. A group of young women are forced to not only be with each other for an undetermined amount of time, but also to rely on each other for survival. Yes, women can be catty bitches sometimes, but being catty bitches isn't the only thing we are capable of. When it comes down to it, women are capable of producing some really amazing results and are so much more than lip gloss and tiaras. Though if it hurts too much to recognize this, it's best not to take this book too seriously. It's good for that, too. This was a hilarious read which elicited many lulz from me on numerous occasions. I bet the audio, read by Bray herself, is even better.
    • 2/5
      I’m a huge Libba Bray fan and I remember being so excited to get my hands on this when it first released. Long story short, I don’t think I got past page 10 before I DNF’d. Hearing that the audiobook was way better I figured it deserved another shot. Libba Bray herself narrates this audiobook and manages to do a different voice for each and every one of the characters. The accents were gimmicky and nowhere near authentic but they were incredibly entertaining. The audio is over 14 hours long though and it unfortunately grew a bit tiresome and added to the overall ridiculousness of the whole thing after a while.The big thing with Beauty Queens are the ‘messages’ which tackle the unrealistic standards that all girls face (not just pageant girls) but it did oftentimes feel overdone and exaggerated. Add to that, the messages were simply too obvious and came off as preachy more than anything. In addition there was the massive amount of satire this book was steeped in. While all together the story was rather admittedly a bit over the top and incredibly goofy at times, it did have some entertaining moments. At least until the boat full of (testosterone) reality TV show pirates showed up. They upped the level of ridiculous for me and officially lost me. And if I was barely avoiding another DNF before, the introduction of the evil corporation trying to kill the beauty queen contestants would have been the nail in the coffin if I wasn’t already close to being finished. There was a lot of sighing and a lot of eye-rolling. Maybe I just wasn’t in a super funny mood? No clue. I realize that this is meant to be a fun and entertaining book not meant to be taken seriously at all, but it was simply too excessive for my liking.Beauty Queens is an eclectic combination of one of those cringe-worthy parody movies, a satirical Lord of the Flies and an Austin Powers movie. I agree with the message the book aimed to prove, but I like when messages are a bit more subtle and a little less hammer to the head.
    • 5/5
      Too funny, ended up reading large portions to my beau. He enjoyed the commercial beaks the best i think.
    • 4/5
      I greatly enjoyed the first 3/4 of this book with the ending being a bit lackluster. Filled with satire including TV-like scripts and commentaries. Great teen read.
    • 5/5
      Lol! Great!
    • 5/5
      OMG! The plane carrying the contestants for the Miss Teen Dream pageant has crashed on a deserted island! Of course, the girls need to survive but more importantly, how will they keep their hair looking great? This is not just the story of some stranded girls waiting to be rescued. No, this is also the story of girls learning to find food and shelter, exploring the island and even finding themselves. It is also the story of a greedy mega-corporation, a former beauty queen dreaming of the presidency, a boat full of bodacious pirates, an insane dictator, a secret lair inside a volcano, a stuffed lemur, reality television, psychedelic berries, boy bands, hideous plots and schemes, how to make weapons out of hair care products and above all, the true meaning of beauty.Libba Bray (author of Going bovine) is in fine satirical form in this novel, which manages to make scathing social commentary while also being delightfully wacky. All the stereotypes are there, and twisted and turned until they are something new. These girls are not just interchangable pretty faces as they might appear at first. So put on your lip gloss and get ready to join the Miss Teen Dreamers for the craziest adventure a beauty queen ever had!
    • 5/5
      This is not a book I would normally read, but I read several good reviews and heard a bit of the audiobook. It sounded good, so I decided to give the audiobook a try. I am glad I did since the narrator does a fantastic job. The accents that each girl has as she represents her different states makes it easy to tell who is saying what. Even more impressive the girls' voices change as the book progresses and the girls face thoughtful revelations on who they are and how they ended up competing in the Miss Teen Dream Beauty Pageant. While the girls' stories represent a variety of issues that I personally don't have to deal with, I found the characters to be sympathetic and the insights to be informative and understandable. I a certain this title will face many challenges due to the language and treatment of a variety of issues relating to sexuality, but I really wish this title had been available when I was a teen.